What is prayer?

What is Prayer?

Prayer is communicating with God.  It’s one of the ways we get to know him.  Prayer is more than just a conversation, although it involves both listening and talking, prayer is about relationship with God.  Importantly, we need to be open to God speaking to us, guiding, supporting, comforting us, letting him tell us about his will for us.

Jesus was often going off to pray and teaches about pray specifically when the disciples asked him, "Lord teach us to pray."  You can read what Jesus said in Luke 11:1-13.  Just prior to his arrest Jesus prayed for himself, the disciples and all believers.  YOu can read those prayers in John 17.

The Apostle Paul encourages prayer. " Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18) 

There are many different kinds of prayer.   You can read much more in 

Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God Paperback by Timothy Keller (Hodder & Stoughton )

Prayer: Does it make any difference? by Philip Yancey (Hodder & Stoughton )

Below we explore four types of prayer to help get you started:

praise and adoration, 

confession 

thanksgiving

asking.

However we must never forget to listen.

We should expect prayer to be answered, for Jesus said, “You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:16); and “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer”. (Matthew 21:22)   However, our prayers are not necessarily answered in the way we might expect, so expect the unexpected.

Our prayer should change us.  For example, if we pray for an end to poverty, we should expect to be challenged in our giving and in our attitude and actions towards political and social structures. 

Often the answer to prayer is that God requires us to change, so importantly, we need to listen to what God is saying to us.

Praise and adoration

The Apostle Paul wrote

"When you meet together, sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as you praise the Lord with all your heart."  (Ephesians 5:19)

 Praise is boldly declaring who God is.  

In the scriptures, praise is often lively, joyful, and uninhibited.  Jesus said that if people don't praise God, even the "stones will cry out" (Luke 19:40).  

Praise is an essential part of a Spirit-filled life that is given to God.

A prayer of praise may recognise God as creator and sustainer of earthly and eternal life.  It might recognise what God has done for us through his Son, Jesus Christ and by sending the Holy Spirit to live within his faithful people.  It will offer God, honour, adoration and glory, and recognise his power and might.  Above all a prayer of praise will be directed at God as a person and not as an encouragement to others.  For example we might pray, "All praise glory, might, power and dominion is yours holy and loving Father" rather than, "Praise the Lord your God, give him glory and honour."  The first is speaking directly to God, the latter is speaking to others urging them to give God praise.  There is a real and significant distinction between the two.

An example of a prayer of praise:

Loving God, holy, mighty and immortal, to you be all praise and honour, glory and power.

You are creator God and we marvel in awe all that you you have made.

How marvellous and wonderful you are.  You care for our every need, you know our every thought.

We proclaim your great and glorious name; Holy, holy, holy Lord.  Heaven and earth are full of your glory.

You have revealed yourself as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and live and reign in the perfect unity of love 

We pray, in faith, knowing you listen and you respond.  Amen

Confession - saying ‘sorry’

Do, you live a perfect life?  In his first letter John reiterates what Paul wrote to the Romans (chapter 3 verse 23), that all have sinned and fall sort of God’s glory.

The Apostle John wrote;

"This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practise the truth.   But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us."  (1 John 1:5-10)

The prime reason Jesus came to earth and died upon a cross was that our sinfulness can be forgiven.  So, as John says, if we claim that we’ve never sinned, we make God a liar.

God promises us that in the New Covenant, inaugurated on the cross by Jesus, “I will write my laws on their hearts and minds.  I will be their God, and they will be my people. … I will forgive their sins and forget the evil things they have done.” (Jeremiah 31:33-34)

So, although we are forgiven by faith in Jesus Christ and by his atoning sacrifice upon the cross, it is important that we acknowledge to God when we have failed to love him wholeheartedly and to love others as Jesus loves us. 

Remember our relationship with God is a Father -  child relationship.  So, although the father loves the child and forgives because of that love, the relationship is marred if the child does not recognise its disobedience.  Prayers of confession help us to consciously address our breaking God’s commands and that breaking those commands results in breaking our relationship with God.  In asking for forgiveness we are ‘repenting’, that is turning away for our old ways and turning back towards God.  His forgiveness gives us renewal and enables us to be in a right relationship with him.

Here is an example.

Forgiving God, you have given us a world of beauty, and we have spoilt it.

A world to feed us, and so many go hungry.

A world of riches, and we are unwilling to share.

A world to care for, and we think only of ourselves.

Forgive us, gracious God, every time your heart is saddened by our selfishness,

every time we have no thought for others, no cares but ours.

Enable us to see this world as a gift from you that can be shared,

and those who live on it as our neighbours.

We ask this that your name may be glorified

through the beauty of this world and the service of our lives.

Copyright © John Birch, 2016 https://www.faithandworship.com/Harvest_Thanksgiving_Resources_and_Prayers.htm#gsc.tab=0

Thanksgiving

In his first letter, John explicitly confirms that when we confess our sin God forgives us.  That is central to the New Covenant.  In promising a New Covenant God said; “I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. … I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:33 & 34)

 The Apostle Paul wrote that when we meet together we should "always use the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to thank God the Father for everything."  (Ephesians 5:20)

 He also wrote; "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

One way to thank God is simply to take a piece of paper and write a list of all the things you are thankful for.  Just doing that is prayer.

Here is an example of  a thanksgiving prayer:

Loving God, thank you for your love and kindness to me.  Thank you for my family and friends and all they mean to me; for all the

activities that make life fulfilling.  Thank you for my health, food, shelter and security and all who care for me when life is

challenging.  Thank you for Jesus and all he has done for me, even dying for me.  Thank you for placing your Holy Spirit within

me.  Thank you that by faith in your Son my sin is forgiven and you count me worthy to share in your inheritance of eternal life.

Thank you, Lord, for all you do for me.  Amen. 

Intercessions or Prayers for others

Paul wrote to Timothy, "I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people ." (1 Timothy 2: 1)   

The Apostle Paul urges us to pray for everyone.  Jesus even said we should pray for those who persecute us, people who hurt us or are unkind to us.  (Matthew 5:44)

That sounds daunting, but Paul probably didn’t mean that we should prayer for everyone every day, although over a period we perhaps ought to pray for a range of people with different challenges and needs.  Whenever you pray for someone in need there are always others associated with that person who also need our prayers.  If we are praying for the drug addict then we can pray for their families, counsellors, and all affected by the addiction.  If we are praying for people whose homes have been destroyed by earthquake, again we can pray for their families and friends, rescuers, people providing humanitarian aid, insurers, community leaders, etc.

One prayer structure to use is:

The Church; pray for the worldwide church, the national church, and your local church.  Pray for its ordained ministers and lay leaders and all who proclaim Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.  Pray for unity, that the Gospel will be proclaimed and the church will be a channel of God’s love, grow in  discipleship and grow in number.  Pray for Christians persecuted for their faith.

People in authority; politicians and governments, leaders of industry and commerce. 

Your families and friends.

People in particular need, physically, mentally or spiritually ill; people, hungry, homeless, abused, exploited, neglected, lonely, anxious, or in someway hurting, or struggling with life or relationships, people you may have read about in the news.  Pray for peace and reconciliation in situations of violence, conflict and war.

People who are sad and mourning the loss of people they love, whether through death, geographical distance or in some other way.

What about me!

Pray for yourself.

There will be all sorts of things you may want to pray for yourself.  You may be in a place of torment and confusion and need God’s comfort, reassurance and guidance.  You may be seeking direction in your life.  Whatever it is, ask.

 Don't forget to listen.

"The Lord and his disciples were travelling along and came to a village. When they got there, a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.  She had a sister named Mary, who sat down in front of the Lord and was listening to what he said."  (Luke 11:38-39)

"After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.  And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him”."   (Mark 9: 2-3 & 7)

We can do a lot of talking in prayer, even if we are not actually speaking the words out loud.

Prayer requires us to listen to God.   So, spend some time in quiet allowing God to speak to you.  What is he saying to you about the challenges you face or about the situations and people you pray for?  Is he asking you to do something for him?

Let's conclude with a portion of Psalm 119 as translated in the Common English Version.  You can use it as a prayer.

Point out your rules to me, and I won’t disobey even one of them.

Help me to understand your Law; I promise to obey it with all my heart.

Direct me by your commands! I love to do what you say.

Make me want to obey you, rather than to be rich.

Take away my foolish desires, and let me find life by walking with you.

I am your servant!  Do for me what you promised to those who worship you.

Your wonderful teachings protect me from the insults that I hate so much.

I long for your teachings. Be true to yourself and let me live.

Show me your love and save me, Lord, as you have promised.

Then I will have an answer for everyone who insults me for trusting your word.

I rely on your laws! Don’t take away my chance to speak your truth.

I will keep obeying your Law forever and ever.

I have gained perfect freedom by following your teachings, and I trust them so much that I tell them to kings.

I love your commands! They bring me happiness.

I love and respect them and will keep them in mind.  (Psalm 119: 33-38 CEV)